Fruit
by TheFiresOfHope
Summary: Darman is determined to convince Etain that he is more important than a piece of fruit . . . oneshot. Usual DarxEtain fluff.


It was _perfect._ The yellow and cream colored skin of the fruit was crisp and gave way with a crunch. Inside was bright yellow– at the peak of its ripeness – and so cold and sweet. The nectarous, almost golden, juice filled into her mouth as she bit down. It was almost like drinking fruit juice instead. She tilted her head backward to avoid spilling on her shirt and swallowed. _Bliss._

The green–eyed girl, perhaps just out of her teens, swung her bare feet happily from her perch on the dining table and enthusiastically finished off the rest of her shuura, savoring every delicious bite. Finally, she leaned forward and tossed the well-chewed core into the garbage chute with impeccable aim.

Then she turned to the glass fruit bowl beside her. A pyramid of ripe, scrumptious fruits of every species caused a riot of color on the light, scentwood table. On the top was the very last of her favorite shuura fruit. She contemplated the mostly yellow fruit philosophically, one critical question foremost in her mind.

_Should I take the last one?_

She pondered the issue for a long minute, then threw restraint into the wind and grabbed it. She had just about finished it, relishing it like the first, when a voice spoke from the doorway,

"I see you're having fun, Cyar'ika."

The speaker was a tall, strongly built young man, with jet-black hair and dark eyes. He slumped against the door frame with his arms crossed. A small, fond smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

The young girl smiled back and leaned back on one arm. She nonchalantly kept at her shuura and answered,

"I am. I, for one, have had more than enough of negotiations with laser-brained senators and delegates that can't see a good thing when it's slapping them in the face."

The newcomer laughed and straightened up. He wandered toward her, still chuckling. "Isn't the term 'staring them in the face'?"

She scoffed, tossing back her brown hair, "I'm sorry, the slapping part must have come from _me_. There's nothing more I'd rather do that give those thick-headed nerf herders exactlywhat they deserve."

The black haired man reached out, planted a hand on either side of her, and leaned forward. "Except, of course, sit here and eat fruit."

"Well, it's an adequate enough substitute," she admitted. "Hey!" This was as he playfully grabbed her wrist and began to direct the shuura in her hands toward his mouth for a bite.

She wrestled with him good-naturedly, until finally he began to tickle her ribs with his other hand. The girl squealed with laughter and squirmed away from him, almost dropping the shuura in the process.

He triumphantly used the opportunity to readjust his grip on her wrist and snatch a huge chomp of the yellow and cream colored fruit. She smacked his arm, protesting,

"Dar! That's mine!"

He, Dar, grinned wolfishly at her through a mouthful of yellow shuura fruit. "Sorry," he mumbled, though he was clearly not so. He swallowed and straightened up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Woah, that's _good._"

Her green eyes flashed with dismay. "I know! And you finished it all! In one bite!"

Dar just grinned and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Et'ika." He buried his hand in her hair and gently leaned her head to the side to plant a kiss on her neck. She smacked him again, this time upside the head.

"Don't even try it," she warned, mournfully tossing the core away like the first, "I'm never going to forgive you for that. It was the first time I've had one of those in _years, _and now they're all gone."

He gave her a beautifully mock-hurt look. "You mean a piece of fruit means more to you than me?"

"You tasted it, too. What do you think?"

He took her chin and tilted her head up. Dar rested his forehead on hers and looked into her eyes, briefly distracted by the glittering flecks of deep amber scattered in the depthless pool of emerald green. Then he shook himself out of it and answered,

"Well, try this and tell me what's better."

He tilted his face upward and lightly brushed his lips to hers. She instinctively angled her head, deepening the kiss. Dar loosely curled his fingers against the back of her neck and gently caught her lower lip in between his lips. Etain gave in and slid her arms around his neck, firmly molding her mouth against his.

She could taste the cold sweetness of the shuura juice lingering on Dar's mouth and hummed at the simple pleasure of kissing her lover. She didn't how long they remained like that, in a firm, luxurious lip lock, aware of only the taste of his tongue, the feel of his smooth, warm skin underneath her hands, and the comfortingly familiar, musky scent that was just Darman. _Bliss_.

Finally, Darman slowly pulled away from her, drawing out the kiss as long as he could. Etain reluctantly parted her lips and let him draw back, panting to catch her breath.

Dar cocked his head to the side and looked at her expectantly. "So? What do you say?"

"Huh?" For a minute she couldn't think, the memory of their kiss still lingering on her mouth, clouding her mind. Then it came back to her.

"Oh, that." she leaned back on her elbows thoughtfully, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to bring her breathing under control. Etain's rose-pink lips curled into a mischievous smile as a thought occurred to her. She tilted her head back and looked at him from beneath her long eyelashes.

"Well, I'm not quite sure yet. Both, I have to admit, were _very_ nice, but I think you'll have to try again – just so I can make up my mind."

Dar laughed and leaned closer to her on one arm. He used the other to cup the side of her face and run his thumb over her velvety, soft mouth.

"With pleasure."

**And voilà! There is Fruit!**

**I swear, I must have tried seven (okay three) different endings before finally deciding on this one. I don't think it's half bad, what did you guys think? Don't forget to review and tell me!**


End file.
